The Type Of Oil Chick-Fil-A Uses To Fry Its Chicken

A big part of Chick-fil-A's massive success is just how much flavor it squeezes into a simple fried chicken sandwich. Normally, an essential part of any fried chicken recipe is the oil it's cooked in. Like KFC, the chain uses a secret blend of spices to give its chicken that special Chick-fil-A taste, and it's also known for using higher-quality chicken and a pressure cooker that helps keep the breasts extra juicy. But when that chicken goes in the fryer, Chick-fil-A is actually using a pretty basic frying oil: peanut oil.

Unlike that spice blend, this isn't something Chick-fil-A is being secretive about. Right on its website, the chain states all its chicken is cooked in "fully refined, heat-processed peanut oil." Refined peanut oil is a very popular choice for frying food, including chicken, partially because it's an oil with a very high smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. A high smoke point is important in frying because when oils are heated past that point, their chemical structure starts to break down, which can add acrid and off flavors to food.

The fat content of peanut oil is also a factor in frying. Chick-fil-A says part of the reason they use peanut oil is its healthy balance of fats, as it has no trans fat or cholesterol, while being high in better fats like mono and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fat also has a second benefit of making cooking oil more stable at high temperatures, which also helps prevent off-flavors.

One thing that is desirable to chains like Chick-fil-A, but that might surprise customers, is that refined peanut oil is basically flavorless. Unrefined peanut oil has much more of a nutty taste, but the refinement process strips almost all of the aromas and flavors from the oil. Much like vegetable oil or canola oil, refined peanut oil is considered a neutral oil. This may not sound desirable to you if you're trying to make the most flavorful fried chicken, but chains like Chick-fil-A use highly precise recipes with engineered flavors that need to stay consistent, so using a neutral oil that doesn't interfere with the taste is actually ideal.

Not all of Chick-fil-A's fried chicken rivals feel the same way, though. KFC goes that route, although it uses a different combination of neutral oils — canola and soybean. But Popeye's throws a real curveball. The Louisiana chain doubles down on savory flavors, opting to fry its chicken in beef tallow.

But does all this mean people with peanut allergies should avoid Chick-fil-A? Not really. Refined peanut oil is actually not considered an allergen by the FDA. That's because the peanut proteins that cause allergic reactions are mostly removed by the refining process. If you are particularly sensitive, however, you may not want to risk it. But for those who are comfortable with it or don't have to worry, peanut oil provides an ideal frying experience for the country's favorite fried chicken.